Ramon Freire

Ramon Freire (29 November 1787-9 December 1851) was Supreme Director of Chile from 4 April 1823 to 9 July 1826, succeeding Bernardo O'Higgins and preceding Manuel Blanco Encalada, and President of Chile from 25 January to 8 May 1827, succeeding Agustin Eyzaguirre and preceding Francisco Antonio Pinto. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Chile.

Biography
Ramon Freire Serrano was born in Santiago, Chile on 29 November 1787, and he served in the Chilean Army during the war of independence in the 1810s. Freire became a colonel after the Battle of Maipu, and he would later become a rival of Bernardo O'Higgins. After O'Higgins' resignation as Supreme Director in 1823, Freire became the new leader of Chile, and he served until 1826; just six months later, he became president. Freire oversaw the abolition of slavery, the opening of Chile's markets to world commerce, the establishment of the free press, and ordered all convents and monasteries to open free schools. He resigned in 1827 amisdt the political turmoil that engulfed Chile, and he led the liberal Pipiolos during the civil war against the conservative Pelucones in 1829. Freire was exiled to Peru after the conservatives won the war, and he was later exiled to Tahiti and Australia after failing to lead a Peruvian invasion of Chiloe. He returned to Chile in 1842, and he died in 1851.